AUTHOR=Kant Sam , Brennan Daniel C. TITLE=Donor Derived Cell Free DNA in Kidney Transplantation: The Circa 2020–2021 Update JOURNAL=Transplant International VOLUME=35 YEAR=2022 URL=https://www.frontierspartnerships.org/journals/transplant-international/articles/10.3389/ti.2022.10448 DOI=10.3389/ti.2022.10448 ISSN=1432-2277 ABSTRACT=
The routine surveillance of kidney transplant allografts has relied on imperfect non-invasive biomarkers such as creatinine and urinary indices, while the gold standard allograft biopsy is associated with risk of bleeding, organ injury and sampling errors. Donor derived cell free DNA (dd-cfDNA) is being employed as a biomarker that addresses limitations of these surveillance methods, albeit has inherent drawbacks. This review provides an update on the enhanced understanding of dd-cfDNA and its expanded use beyond the conventional indication of detecting allograft rejection.